Some one sent me these photos of the Sligo Creek Trail at-grade crossing of Riggs Road in Chillum, MD. The photos show that as one crosses from east-to-west, there is a steep drop on the west side The path is narrow, turns to the right and on the left hand side is a ravine where runoff is washing out the hill. Someone crossing at speed who was unaware of the configuration could get themselves in trouble.

Narrow Trail bends to the right, with the hole to the left

Trail is steep here, and should be rebuilt to a more gradual drop. This is not really wheelchair safe.

A view of the hole, which in addition to a safety hazard is a maintenance issue. It looks like area beneath the trail is eroding.

The streetlight poles on both sides of the road at the point where the trail intersects the sidewalk don't help. In the streetview images, the trail bridge over Sligo Creek on the east side is closed, but I don't know if that is still the case. The whole crossing is kind of a mess and needs to be improved.

Last week it was mentioned that work began on closing the Trolley Trail gap between College Park and Hyattsville and that a bridge over the railroad tracks there could create an additional connection between it and the Anacostia Tributary Trails.

Well, here's the M2 Masterplan that shows what such a connection might look like (if we imagine the bridge too). The bridge will connect the Trolley Trail to Rivertech Court. An existing bike trail connects Rivertech Court to the end of Taylor Road. Turning left on Tuckerman will take cyclists to 51st Avenue where a future trail connection would connect cyclists to the existing spur trail along Haig Drive and from there to the Northeast Branch trail. Once done, some signage and possible some sharrows, would be all one needs. Perhaps equally important is that it connects directly to the Purple Line station along River Road.

Speaking of the Purple Line. Is it going over NE Branch on it's own bridge? I wonder if there's an opportuity to create a trail spur to the east side of the river (and even along it for some distance.

The trail will be complete north of Franklins up through College Park in a year. The section between Armentrout Drive and Franklins is at 30 percent design.

Franklin's is at Farragut Street in Hyattsville, and Armentrout Drive is where the Northwest Branch Trail is (and it's the limit of the trolley right-of-way that isn't Rhode Island Avenue). The northern end of the trail is at Holland Drive in Beltsville, though the northern section is really bike lanes. That's a nice linear trail, with several connections to the Anacostia Trails.

I'd be surprised and impressed if the trail were ever extended to the end of the trolley line along the Patuxent in Laurel. But it would be great to get bike lanes/cycletrack on Rhode Island all the way to the Met Branch Trail.

Cafritz is developing Riverdale Park Station on property that straddles the old DC-Laurel trolley right of way. The land used to be Calvert Homes, built as WWII surge housing by the National Capital Housing Authority to serve workers at the ERCO plant which built light aircraft during the war. Several sections of that right-of-way in College Park and Hyattsville have been turned into trails and, as seen in the rendering above, Cafritz will continue the trail across their property. Cafritz just announced that advance work on that will begin in the next two to six months.

The trail will run north-south, and on the site plan below is along an extended Rhode Island Avenue.

Here's a video (ad really) with more.

Update: The project will also include a new bridge over the railroad tracks. That has not been designed yet, but the designers note that they "will construct an urban table top over the bridge to incorporate architectural features and provide green space for pedestrians accessing the redeveloped site on foot or by bicycle."

South of there, there is a crossing at East West Highway, but that's a little rough. Queensbury Road is good, even if it is at grade. North, you either have to use the College Park Metro underpass (escalators and stairs, etc...) or go to Paint Branch Parkway. Perhaps this could lead to a connection/expansion to the Northeast Branch trail along Wells Run.

Design of the Little Paint Branch Trail extension that began in 2012 is complete. This project, part of the Intercounty Connector environmental Stewardship program, will extend the Little Paint Branch Trail - part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System - by 2.2 miles from it's current terminus at Cherry Hill Road just inside the Beltway, to the Littel Paint Branch Trail north of BARC.

The trail will become a sidepath along the south and east sides of Cherry Hill Road to Sellman Road, crossing over the beltway in the process. It will then cross Cherry Hill Road at grade at the controlled intersection and continue along the north side of Sellman.

The proposed facility, known as the Little Paint Branch Trail Extension, will be a 10-foot wide asphalt trail for shared-use by bicyclists and pedestrians. The trail will be physically separated from the roadways (rather than extensions of the roadway shoulders), affecting a total area of 1.69 acres on federal property, requiring the relocation of BARC’s perimeter security fence along the west-side of Cherry Hill Road.

Overall, the project will remove 45 existing trees on federal property and replace these with 57 ornamental trees and 10 shade trees on federal property (+67 trees total), mostly along Sellman Road. The trail will be constructed and maintained by the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), requiring a temporary construction easement (approximately 3.0 acres in area along the trail alignment) to allow County access to the project area.

Following the fall 2012 trail design unveiling by officials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and key U.S. federal agencies, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Governor Martin O’Malley and National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis today announced the start of construction for the $22.1 million project across the District of Columbia and Maryland line to deliver the missing link in almost 70-mile regional bicycle and pedestrian trail network.

The completion of this key link will provide greater access to almost 70 miles of trails in Maryland and in the District Columbia. Within the District, the segment is part of the planned 28-mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail that will connect 16 waterfront neighborhoods to the Anacostia River, Southwest Waterfront, Nationals Park, Washington Navy Yard, RFK Stadium, National Arboretum, and other popular destinations. This new portion of the trail will link to more than 40 miles of trails in Maryland that travel throughout the Anacostia River Tributary System and connect to numerous schools, businesses, libraries, museums, shopping centers and Metro and MARC transit stations. It will be managed by District Department of Transportation (DDOT), National Park Service and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

The trail project is scheduled to be open for hikers and bikers in Spring 2016.

Update: If you watch the video, at around 3:36 there is a pop up about a bridge over the "unamned" tributary in Maryland. Now, frequent readers here know that I am not a practioner of the dark art of orthograpy, so far be it from me to criticize; but I do like it and from now on I might refer to that bridge as Unamned Bridge or possibly the trail's mascot Unamned the Egret.

Four-Mile Missing Link in Larger 60-Mile Regional Trail Network Will Provide Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel Between the District and Bladensburg, Maryland

The District and Maryland Departments of Transportation jointly re-advertised today for contractor bids on constructing the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail with alternative design/construction criteria. All construction bids for the project received on August 6, 2013 were cancelled.

As part of the re-advertisement, contractors have the option of bidding based on either the original design or their own proposals for modifying the design for the following project elements:

Heavy duty boardwalk (outside AMTRAK right-of-way), which may include re-design of foundation system, railing and deck that meet pedestrian and HS-15 loading requirements,

Sheet pile walls and cofferdams related to the heavy duty boardwalk and pedestrian bridges, and

Geogrid reinforced trail for areas of potential contamination.

Special Provisions for these elements are included in the re-advertised bid solicitation materials.

The four-mile long Kenilworth segment will connect Benning Road in the District with Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Bladensburg, Maryland, providing a highly anticipated missing link in an almost 60-mile regional bicycle and pedestrian trail network.

Within the next week, the District and Maryland departments of transportation will jointly re-advertise for contractor bids on constructing the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail with alternative design/construction criteria. All construction bids for the project received by August 6, 2013 were cancelled.

As part of the re-advertisement, contractors will have the option of bidding based on either the original design or their own proposals for modifying the design for the following project elements:

Heavy duty boardwalk (outside AMTRAK right-of-way), which may include re-design of foundation system, railing and deck that meet pedestrian and HS-15 loading requirements,

Sheet pile walls and cofferdams related to the heavy duty boardwalk and pedestrian bridges, and

Geogrid reinforced trail for areas of potential contamination.

Special Provisions for these elements will be included in the re-advertised bid solicitation materials. Anticipated due date for bids will be 21 days after advertisement. Project construction is still expected to start in November 2013.

No questions from contractors will be addressed at this time, but will be considered once the new solicitation for bids is issued.

This is another step. They're going to break ground on this thing just as I no longer need it.

The missing link in an almost 60-mile regional bicycle and pedestrian trail network is advancing to construction, as Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Deputy Secretary John D. Porcari and National Park Service (NPS) Director Jonathan B. Jarvis announced today the advertisement of the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment for bids by contractors.

Project bid documents are available here. Project construction is expected to start in fall 2013.

“Today, along with our partners from the federal government and the State of Maryland, we mark a milestone in the completion of a trail that will provide a broad array of benefits to our residents as well as visitors and our entire region,” said Mayor Gray.“Advertising to find partners to build this missing link in the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail means that soon, thousands will be able to enjoy the multi-modal transportation, community connectivity and recreational opportunities the trail will afford as part of our larger Anacostia Waterfront Initiative and in keeping with our Sustainable DC plan’s goals to make the District the nation’s healthiest, greenest, most sustainable city.”

This $19.3 million trail project is being jointly funded by: a $10 million U.S. Department of Transportation 2012 TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grant, $3.9 million from the District of Columbia, $3.6 million of the District’s Highway Trust Fund from the Federal Highway Administration and $1.8 million from Maryland’s Cycle Maryland Bikeways Program.

“Today, we take an important step forward in delivering a project that will significantly enhance the entire region’s network of trails,” said Gov. O’Malley. “With connections to businesses, transit, parks, schools and homes, this link will further our efforts to encourage increased use of bicycling and walking as viable transportation options. Over the next six years, Maryland will invest more than $150 million to increase bicycle and pedestrian access – helping to stimulate the economy, protect the environment and improve physical fitness.”

We are thrilled to see the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail – which will act as a key connection between trails in the District of Columbia and Maryland – move towards construction,” said USDOT Deputy Secretary Porcari. “Through this TIGER grant, the trail will improve safety by giving bicyclists and pedestrians a dedicated new alternate travel route while further providing residents and visitors with sustainable transportation options.”

“The National Park Service is excited to see the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail move toward construction,” said NPS Director Jarvis. ”The National Park Service is committed to connecting urban communities to parks, trails, waterways, and community green spaces that provide access to fun outdoor experiences close to home.”

By connecting Benning Road in the District with Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Bladensburg, Md., the trail segment creates new connections between communities, the river and its natural resources while enhancing recreational and educational opportunities for trail users. At the same time, the trail increases accessibility to transit stations and makes bicycle commuting more attractive by shortening travel times by as much as 30 minutes.

The trail is designed to generally parallel the Anacostia River, but also pass through both developed and undeveloped areas. As a result, the trail’s unique and varied design includes both paved 10-to-12-foot-wide asphalt and concrete boardwalk sections that meander around trees and wetlands in the Aquatic Gardens and other NPS lands; sidewalks through the Mayfair and Parkside communities; and raised walkways and five bridges over Anacostia River tributaries as it passes between the District and Maryland near U.S. Route 50.

Within the District, this segment is part of the planned 20-mile Anacostia Riverwalk Trail that will connect 16 waterfront neighborhoods to the Anacostia River, Southwest Waterfront, Nationals Park, Washington Navy Yard, RFK Stadium, the National Arboretum, and other popular destinations. To date, more than 12 miles of the District’s trail are open and heavily used. In Maryland, the trail will link to more than 40 miles of trails that travel throughout the AnacostiaRiver tributary system and connect to numerous schools, businesses, libraries, museums, shopping centers and Metro and MARC transit stations.

Home to more than 800,000 residents, 43 species of fish and more than 200 species of birds, the restoration of the Anacostia River Watershed and the development of the AnacostiaRiverwalk Trail has twice been identified as a priority project for the Obama administration under the President’s America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative and the Urban Waters Federal Partnership (UWFP). Both initiatives seek to reconnect Americans to the outdoors and revitalize urban waterways in underserved communities across the country.

The trail will be maintained and operated by the District, NPS and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Other trail partners include the U.S. Department of the Interior, Federal Highway Administration, and Prince George’s County (Maryland).

The plans have a few technical drawings that show the route of the trail. It will pass undert the Amtrak and New York Avenue Bridges on a boardwalk and there will be a small observation area just north of the New York Avenue Bridge. Here's a map of the whole trail.

DDOT is preparing to advertise the Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens Segment of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail for construction bids by contractors with construction expected to start in Fall 2013.

Arlington County Board will hold a hearing this week on a proposal to lower the speed limit on four roads in the county. "The proposed amendment to the county code would would lower speed limits to 25 mph from the current 30 mph on four streets: Two key routes between Rosslyn and Clarendon (Wilson Boulevard between Washington Boulevard and Route 110 and Clarendon Boulevard between Washington Boulevard and N. Oak Street), a stretch near the Iwo Jima Memorial in Rosslyn (North Meade Street between Arlington Boulevard and Marshall Drive) and a road near the East Falls Church Metro station...the county believes the lower speeds will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists." Hearing is on July 13th at 8:30 a.m. at 2100 Clarendon Blvd., in the boardroom on the 3rd floor. Follow the link for maps.

Wall Street Journal discovers that there really is a bike lobby (and video). Next week's headling could look like this. The reason people made fun of Rabinowiz is not that she said there was a bike lobby, but that she called it all-powerful. If that were so, America might look more like this.

The D.C. Department of Transportation will lay down 3 miles of asphalt, four prefabricated truss pedestrian bridges, 130 feet of retaining wall and 1,100 linear feet of heavy-duty boardwalk as part of the Anacostia Riverwalk Kenilworth Trail project. The 3.9-mile trail will originate beneath the Benning Road Bridge and extend north along the east bank of the Anacostia River. It will end a Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Prince George's County.